ISLAMABAD, MAY 16, APP: Senior United States officials said Friday night
that Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif is grappling with the grave problem
that has been created by five Indian nuclear explosions and the international
community deeply shares his concern. These officials while briefing the
press after day long meetings with the Pakistan leadership including Prime
Minister Nawaz Sharif said here Friday night that Pakistan has provided
the United States no " wish list " as a quid pro que for not
looking after its security interests the way Islamabad wants. The officials
said that the present US mission led by US Deputy Secretary of State Strobe
Talbott was quickly formed and sent to Pakistan in view of the Indian nuclear
explosions. The timing is also related to sense of emergency and anguish
because of the strong reaction of the international community against the
Indian explosions. At the same time G-8 meeting is taking place in Birmingham
with the Indian explosions at the top of the agenda. Only hours before
the mission departed for Pakistan the US Assistant Secretary of State for
this region Karl Inderfurth appeared before the conference and testified
the seriousness of the situation created by Indian nuclear explosions.
The present mission also aims at confirming that United States will be
working with the international community to tackle the situation created
by the Indian nuclear explosions. "This is meant to send a message
to India , a message which is loud and clear that the international community
condemns this action," the officials said.

Strobe Talbott terms his talks
with PM as positive

ISLAMABAD, May 16 (APP): US Deputy Secretary of State Strobe Talbott,
head of the US delegation, said Friday that after talks with Prime Minister
Muhammad Nawaz Sharif they have better understanding about Pakistan's view
of the situation. Talking to journalists here after a meeting with the
Prime Minister on Friday Strobe Talbott said it was because of the hospitality
and openness of the Prime Minister who was good enough to explain his country's
position. He said, "as you know President Clinton has sent me and
my colleagues here to consult Pakistan a good and old friend of the US
and to consult in a spirit of total openness and concerned for each other's
views. "You also know that President Clinton who speaks for the government
and the people of the United States has said that India's tests of nuclear
devices is a terrible mistake", he said and added it's obviously a
major factor for the security situation in the region as well as for global
peace."

Canadian Premier telephones
PM, assures support:

ISLAMABAD, May 16 (APP): Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretien Friday
expressed his sympathy with Pakistan while condemning the testing of nuclear
devices by India. The Canadian Prime Minister in his telephonic conversation
with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif from Birmingham where he is attending
the G-8 summit, said "We sympathize with you at this hour that India
has put you in a difficult position". They have not acted properly,
he said. Jean Chretien added "We are going for G-8 meeting now and
we are going to take strong notice of this issue." Prime Minister
Nawaz Sharif explained Pakistan's position to him and said "we have
to look after our national interests." Canada has strongly condemned
the nuclear tests by India and has called back its High Commissioner from
India.

Pak response to be well considered
and in national interest: Shamshad

ISLAMABAD, May 16 (APP): Foreign Secretary Shamshad Ahmed Friday said
that a very serious and grave situation had arisen for Pakistan in the
wake of Indian nuclear testing but "Our response would however be
well considered and in accordance with our national interests and security."
The Foreign Secretary, while briefing the participants of the Sixth Round
of Annual Bilateral Consultations between Pakistan and France which held
here Friday, said the so-called sanctions and condemnation of India's nuclear
tests had become totally irrelevant after India had achieved its ambitions
to acquire nuclear weapons status. Bertrand Dufourcq, Secretary General
of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of France, led the French delegation
to the consultations, while the Pakistan delegation was led by Foreign
Secretary Shamshad Ahmad. The two sides held useful discussions on wide
ranging issues including Pakistan-India relations, Kashmir, expansion of
the UN Security Council, defence and security matters. The Foreign Secretary
briefed the French delegation of the grave and ominous situation that has
arisen in the region because of Indian nuclear testing.

Nawaz urges international community
to understand Pakistan's security concerns

ISLAMABAD, May 16 (APP): Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif on Friday
urged the international community to understand Pakistan's security concerns
in the wake of five underground nuclear tests carried out by India earlier
this week. Talking to journalists prior to his meeting with the high level
US delegation headed by Deputy Secretary of State Strobe Talbott the Prime
Minister said, "we are reviewing the situation in detail in perspective
of our national security concerns which is most important to us."
To a question he made it clear that Pakistan is not wishing any sort of
foreign aid at the cost of its national interest, adding, "our every
step will be in the larger interest of the country." Nawaz Sharif
said Pakistan despite having the nuclear capability did not use it for
nuclear explosion, saying "We have the capability but we did not test
a bomb for the last 15 to 20 years and, adding, we are in no haste to test
the bomb immediately after India has tested its bomb as we are a responsible
nation." He said, "since assuming my office in 1997 we started
talking to India because I strongly believe in resolving all issues through
bilateral negotiations and, adding, I am disappointed by the Indian attitude.
Rather than talking to us in finding the solution of all these issues India
has resorted to testing bombs", he remarked.

US official holds "good meeting"
with Foreign Minister

ISLAMABAD, May 16 (APP): US Deputy Secretary of State, Strobe Talbott
Friday described his talks with Foreign Minister Gohar Ayub Khan as "very
good." "My team is looking forward to more such meetings,"
the US official said while emerging from a 90-minute talk with Foreign
Minister and other senior officials. "It is a difficult time, and
it is particularly important that good friends like the United States and
Pakistan stay in the closest possible touch to understand each other at
difficult times," Talbott told reporters. Talbott refused to respond
to further questions, saying he was "being in something of a hurry
to meet the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) and the Prime Minister." Talbott
is accompanied by General Anthony Zinni, Commander- in-Chief of the US
Central Command, Karl Inderfuerth, Assistant Secretary of State for Security,
and Bruce Riedel, Special Assistant to President Bill Clinton.

Indian nuclear tests: GA President
expresses dismay and disappointment

ISLAMABAD, May 16 (APP): The President of the General Assembly has learned
"with dismay and disappointment" of a series of underground nuclear
tests conducted by India on Monday and Wednesday, says a spokesman for
the GA President. Over the past years, there have been encouraging signs
in the field of nuclear non-proliferation and nuclear disarmament. With
the virtual cessation of nuclear testing and the landmark conclusion of
the Comprehensive Nuclear Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT), the international community
has sent "an unambiguous message as to the future course of nuclear
non-proliferation." Recognizing that there is a genuine need to de-emphasize
the role of nuclear weapons, the General Assembly at its current session
reaffirmed its commitment to the cause of creating a nuclear-weapon-free
world and welcomed a number of recent steps-- unilateral, bilateral and
multilateral-taken by States towards promoting the regime of nuclear non-proliferation.